Apparatus for extracting grease from leather.



No. 634,670. Patented 0m; 10, 899. r. F. NEWELL.

APPARATUS FOR EXTRAC'HNG GREASE FROM LEATHER. (Application filed June 24, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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5 vent the escape of the vapor from the solvent,-

the latter ordinarily being naphtha,as it is 7 ,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK F. NEXVELL, OF PEABODY, MASSAOHUSlll'lhlS.

APPARATUS FOB EXTRACTING GREASE FROM LEA'l iHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,670, dated October 10, 1899.

Application filed June 24,1399. Serial No. 721,700 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK F. NEWELL, of Peabody, county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for. Extracting Grease from Leather, the, of which the following descrip-- tion, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to apparatus for extracting oil and grease from leather or other material; and the object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character specified which in certain respects isan improve ment upon the invention disclosed by Letters Patent No. 300,497, granted to me on June 17, 1884, and by the employment of my improved apparatus I am enabled to expeditiously remove the oil or grease from articles suspended in a main orextracting tank and subsequently to quickly and thoroughlydry the degreased articles, and the apparatus is of such a nature that none of the solvent vapor is lost during the treatment of the goods.

In the drawings the apparatus, in the pre ferred embodiment thereof, is shown in sectional side elevation, the middle of the main or solvent tank being-removed and the sepa= rated portions brought into close relation for economy in space.

The improved apparatus includes in its con= struction a main tank 2, in which the leather or other articles, as 3, are suspended andfrom tenter-hooks, as 4, secured to the bars 5, the ends of which rest upon the angle-irons 6,10- cated at the opposite ends of the said tank or The said tank has the usual doorway or manhole 7, closed by the gasket or rubber packed door 8, the door being opened to obtain access to'the interior of the tank either for introducing or removing the leather, and being provided near its edges with rubber V gaskets or pads, as is usual in this class of ap-v paratus to insure a tight closure and to pre-i the most eflicacious. V

While I have representedthe skins orar ticles to be degreased as suspended from hooks 4, it is obvious that the skins can be placed in bags or analogous receptacles and the lat- V ter put in a cage and mounted in thedegreasingbr solvent tank in the manner illustrated and described in the Letters Patent hereinbefore mentioned.

v The grease or oil is removed from the skins by drenching them with the solvent, which, as before stated, consists, usually, of naphtha,

andis received from the supply-tank 9, shown as'disposed below-the main or solvent tank 2,

and both of these tanks are closed to prevent the access of atmospheric air thereinto,-as

such air would evaporate the naphtha and tend to cause unnecessary Waste. tion-pipe is shown at 10, and it passes into the solvent-supply tank 9 and is connected with the duplex suction-pump 12, which maybe of any suitable character, and the pipe 13 leads from the suction-pump 12 into the tank, its discharge end being located a comparatively short distance above the bottom or floor of the main tank-:2. The suction and supply pipes 10 and 13, respectively, are provided with valves or'cocks, as 14:, located at suitable points in the length thereof.

When the'skins are placed in the solvent or 1 main tank 2 and the door 8 is closed, the suction-pump 12'will be started, thereby pumping the naphtha from the tank 9 and discharging the same into the tank 2, the valves 14 being properly manipulated to permit this operation, and the naphtha willcover the skins or leather,and when they have been saturated or drenched to the proper extent the naphtha will be pumped from the main tank and supplied to a second tank ,(not herein represented) or, if desired, returned to the supply-tank 9.

Should the naphtha not be heated to the 1 proper degree, it may be brought to the necessary point through the application of heat generated by the steam-coil 15, which is connectedfwith the supply-pipe 16, the admission of steam being controlled by the valve 17 and the discharge thereof by the valve 18,

.b'othloc'ated outside of the tank 2, and the temperature willv be registered by the thermometer 19, mounted upon the outer wall of said tank. v v r A second thermometer isrepresented at 20, and it is of the electrical type, it being designed at certain times to sound an alarm upon the bell 21 whenthe'temperature of the tank or vat 2 goes above a certainpoint, said The sucthermometer being electricallyconnected by the wires 22 with the alarm 21 in some convenient manner.

\Vhile the coil 15 is utilized to bring the temperature of the naphtha 'up to a certain point, this being necessary at certain times in the year, itserves another function. When the naphtha is pumped out of the tank,steam will be admitted into the coil 15 and will heat the air in the tank, thereby causing the naphtha remaining in the stock and bags to be evaporated, and as the naphthavapor is heavier than the atmospheric air it sinks to the bottom of the tank, where it is condensed, as will hereinafter appear, and the condensed naphtha passes into the drip-pipe 23 and from thence into the (lischage-pipe 24, which leads into the tank 9, and the inlet end of the pipe 23 is located at the lower inclined end of the main or solvent tank 2, so as to assure the complete discharge of the said tank.

The lower end of the tank is disposed in the larger vessel or tank 25, which is substantially filled with cold water through the supply-pipe 26, which constantly runs, and the overflow passing through the overflowpipe 27 when the level of the water reaches a certain point in the tank 25. It will be understood that as the vaporous naphtha descends in the manner hereinbefore specified it will be cooled by the water in thetank or vessel 25 to such an extent as to condense the same, the condensed substance passing successively into the'pipes 23 24 and then into the supply-tank 9, it being understood that at this time the valve 23 in the pipe 23 is closed. During the condensation of the naphtha-vapor the steam-coil of course will be giving off heat to dry the degreased skins or articles 3, and to facilitate the drying action I connect the said tank 2 with a blower 30, mounted upon the water-containing tank 31 and connected with the drum 32 and with the main tank 2 by means of pipes 33, the lower ends of said pipes being disposed in horizontal alinement near the bottom of the main tank and at relatively remote points, the vaporous air being circulated by the action of the blowerand passing in its circuit through the drum or vessel 32, which is immersed and fixed in the water-containing tank 31. The drum 32 containsa cold-water coil 34, connecting with a suitable source of supply and overflowing into the preferably wooden or inclosing tank 31, said tank 31 having an overflow or discharge pipe 35. The vapor which is circulated with the hot air is of course condensed as soon as it reaches the cold-air or condensing drum 32, and the condensed naphtha passes into the draw-oif or discharge pipe 36, connected with said condensing-drum 32 and extending into the supply or solvent tank 9. The air is not only circulated to thoroughly dry the hides, but the condensation of the naphtha-vapor is materially enhanced by the provision of the drum 32, which is cooled upon its interior and exterior thoroughly by the water, so as to secure the highest degree of efficiency and to also receive the vapor which is rapidly pumped from the main tank 2. A second drum is represented at 37, it being mounted in juxtaposition with the main tank and having a series of legs, as 38, adapted to rest upon the floor and containingasteam or hotwater coil 39 and connected with the steam or hot-water supply pipe 16, and the straight pipe which connects the coil with the supplypipe is provided with a valve 40, by which the admission of steam through the coil can be controlled. The hot-air drum 37 is connected by the pipe 41 with the tank 2, the admission of hot air being regulated by the valve or cock 42. This hot-air drum 37 is auxiliary to the coil 15 inthe tank 2, and the heat from it is turn ed into said tank to quicken the drying operation and of course is properly circulated by the suction produced by the blower 30, so as to reach all parts of the skins or other articles 3.

The tank 2 is provided with an air-exhaust pipe communicating with the solvent-supply tank, said pipe being denoted by 45, having near the tank the valve 46, which when the naphtha is pumped or otherwise delivered into the tank 2 is opened, so that thepressure caused by the inflowing naphtha into the tanks is relieved, the air and gas mixed above the level of the fluid in .the tank 2 passing into the air-discharge pipe 45 and from thence into the tank 9, thereby preventing the escape of any of the vapor into the atmospheric air, and consequently the admission of any atmospheric air into the supply-tank, it

.being understood that when either of these two conditions takes place the naphtha is evaporated and is wasted.

The order of. operation is as follows: The skins are first placed in the tank 2 in the manner hereinbefore set forth or otherwise through the doorway 7, after which the door 8 is tightly closed and locked. The naphtha is then pumped from the supply-tank 9 by the action of the pump 12 through the pipes 1 L and 13 into the tank 2 to fill the same and thoroughly saturate the skins, the naphtha if not at the right temperature being heated by the action of the steam or hot-water coil 15. At the end of a proper period the naphtha is pumped off, and the heat given off by the coil 15 and admitted from the hot-air drum 37 into the tank 2 serves to desiccate the degreased skins and to thoroughly absorb all naphtha in the same, and during this last-mentioned step the blower 30 will be set in action, thereby circulating the vaporous air and discharging a portion of the same into the cold-water or condensing drum 32. The vapor descends in the drum 32 and also in the tank 2 and is condensed by the cold air, and the condensed naphtha runs respectively through the pipes 34 and 36 into the tank 9. for reuse.

Having fully described my invention, what IIO ' connected with the main tank and with the I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An apparatus of'the class specified, comprising a water-containing condensing-tank, a main tank partiallyimmersed in thewater in said condensing-tank, and adapted to receive articles to be degreased, a solvent-sup main tank, a blower, piping connected re spectively with the cold-air drum and with the main tank, anddraw-oit or'drip pipes cold-air drum and leading into said solventsupply tank.

supply tank communicating with said main tank, a drum, a cold-water coil in said drum, ablower connected respectively with the drum and with the main tank, a pipe leading from the main tank to the drum, and draw-off or drip pipes connected with the main tank and with the drum, and leading into said sol ventsupply tank. I

4. An apparatus of the class specified, comprising a main, tank, a water-containing condensing-tank, in the Water of'which said main tank is immersed, an air-pipe connected with the main tank and with the solvent-supply tank, means for delivering the solvent from said solvent-supply tank to the main tank, and a drip-pipe leading from said main tank to the solvent-supply tank.

5. An apparatus of the class specified, comprising a main tank, a cold-Water tank in which said main tank is disposed, a solventsupply tank communicating with said mainw two subscribing witnesses.

tank, a cold-air drum also communicating main, tank and adapted to receive a heating medium, and a hot-air drum connected with the main tank. r

' 6. An apparatus of theclass specified, comprising a main tank, a cold-Water tank in which said main tank is disposed, a solventsupply tank coinmunicatingwith said main tank, cold-air drum also communicating with said main tank, a system of circulating- ,pipes connected respectively with the coldair drum andwith the main-tank, and provided' with a blower, a coil disposed in said main tank and adapted to receive a heating medium, a hoteair drum connected with the main tank, and an air-pipe'connected respectively with'the main tank and with the solventsup'ply tank. 1 f

'7. ,.An apparatus ofthe class specified, comprising a main tank, a cold-water tank in which's'aidjmain tank is disposed, a solventsnpply tank communicating with said main tank, a drum containing a cold-Water coil, two pipes-connected respectively Withsaid drum and withthe main tank, andone of them having a blower, draw-0E pipes connected re-' spectively with said drum and main tank and leading into the solvent-supply pipe, a sue tion-pu mp, piping connected'with the suc tion-pnmp and with the main tank, a coil adapted to contain a heating agent, and lo= cated in said main tank, a drum disposed in juxtaposition to said main tank and inclosing' a pipe connected respectively with said last mentioned drum and with the main tank.

' In "testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of FRANK F. NEVVELL. Witnesses:

SIMON W. HATHEWAY, HEAT SUTHERLAND. 

